As part of my pay for proofreading, I got to go to dinner at one of the nicer restaurants in Global Harbor Mall, Deep South Yunnan Cuisine (yes that is its name) that always kind of intrigued me. Most of the food was good, my host didn't really like to tofu dish we got even though the fish, vegetables, and special bamboo rice we ordered were all good. This does give me a chance to talk about what parts of Chinese dinner and meal etiquette I picked up. If you are spending any significant lenght if time in China, you will be invited to a meal and knowing the etiquette is helpful. The first and most important rule is that a dinner for two in China, even among people of opposite genders, is not inherently romantic like it kind of is in the US. Strictly platonic friends and people doing business can have a meal together without any implied romance. Infact, if you do business with a person asking them to a meal is expected, even if the business is as small as proofreading a master's thesis. I have been warned that if you start doing larger and larger business deals in China at some point drinking becomes expected. I have not hit that point yet but from what I gathered it is considered impolite to refuse a drink after you accepted the first one and you, as the guest, are expected to keep up with the company's designated drinking representative. I also heard the drinking this is more expected for males than for females though. Finally, I heard that, whatever the occasion for a meal, eat as much as you like whenever you like. You don't have to wait for someone to finish talking before you can eat again nor do you need to ensure that everyone has eaten. Most people here are of the camp that if you don't have enough food than you can always order more.
5 Comments
Sharon
11/22/2016 09:04:06 pm
How do they date there? Are young people liberated and free to choose or is it kind of communist style?
Reply
Jared Paul Miller
11/23/2016 07:58:39 am
Dating is another animal. You can have a dinner date but not every dinner is a date. Dating in China is kind of a mix of really liberated and really controlled. It deserves a blog post of its own just to explain the little bit I actually figured out.
Reply
Dad
11/23/2016 12:55:57 am
Business dinners in China sound like a lot of fun, much better than in the West. Order and eat whatever you want and drink yourself into oblivion. Sign me up
Reply
Gramma M
11/24/2016 06:55:02 am
Sounds like you have to be selective when you have business dealings or you can end up with awful food and drunk under the table. How do you politely refuse a dinner?
Reply
Jared Paul Miller
11/25/2016 12:01:41 am
In many situations, you don't. As long as you don't accept the first drink you actually aren't obligated to have one. Since your hosts also have a meal with you, it is in their best interest that all the food be good Leave a Reply. |
AuthorI am a junior at Juniata College spending a year studying abroad at East China Normal University. Please feel free to join my on my journey to China and beyond. Archives
November 2021
Categories
All
|